Fresh Chickens- resting after freezing
We have about 13 whole chickens that we raised and butchered (first time). Unfortunately after hearing advice from countless friends and reading about how to, etc., no one mentioned the rest period.
As a result, all of our chickens went right into the freezer that evening. I only read about this after it was all said and done.
I have just taken out a chicken to rest it in the fridge.
My question is, will resting the chicken for 2-3 days in the fridge post-freeze suffice and relax the meat? Or, should I pressure cook the chicken? Are they salvageable at all?
I am really not looking forward to tough chicken.
Hoping to hear from someone who made this same mistake and was able to make it right!
Best Answer
So I wanted to offer an update for anyone who has run into this issue. I let the chicken thaw/rest in the fridge for 3 days (the first day was thawing). I then dry roasted it in the slow cooker for the night (Same effect as rotisserie cooking). It came out perfectly!
So for anyone who has NOT rested their meat before freezing there is hope and your meat is not ruined. I will try some other cooking methods to see if it was the resting post-freeze or the super slow cooking that tenderized it.
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How long do chickens need to rest after butchering?
Place the bowl inside your refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. Allowing the chicken to rest will give the muscles a chance to loosen up before cooking. If you are pressed for time, 12 hours will suffice.How long should chicken rest before freezing?
Freshly killed and dressed poultry should be cooled to 40\xb0F or lower for 24 hours before freezing.Does freezing ruin chicken?
Information. If kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire. For best quality, taste and texture, keep whole raw chicken in the freezer up to one year; parts, 9 months; and giblets or ground chicken, 3 to 4 months.How long does rigor mortis last in chicken?
Chickens go into rigor mortis a few hours after being processed and will remain stiff for 24-48 hours.Freezing 1000 Pounds of Chicken
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Images: Henrikas Mackevicius, picjumbo.com, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio